HP’s bringing sexy back with its new leather-wrapped laptop

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HP’s been pushing the envelope in laptop design with its Spectre range for a while now, and its latest offering is no exception. The new Spectre Folio, which features a sleek design wrapped in full grain leather, looks like nothing else available on the market right now.

The 2-in-1 converts from a traditional laptop to a tablet when you flip and fold the 13.3-inch touchscreen display. You can also set it up in what’s called Forward position for a better viewing experience while hiding away the keyboard. Plus, it supports HP’s Digital Pen stylus, offers 4G LTE connectivity, and is said to manage up to 18 hours of battery life on a single charge. I can’t wait to test that claim.

The frame is made of magnesium, and the leather cover goes around the display panel, as well as the glass trackpad area. The backlit keys are made of aluminium, and the device switches between its various configurations with the help of magnets. The Verge noted that the leather cover may be replaceable in the future.

You’ll also find four Bang & Olufsen speakers above the keyboard. Under the hood, there’s an 8th-gen Intel Core i7 chip paired with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. HP’s store currently lists only a Full HD display variant, but a 4K model is slated to become available soon. The former goes for $1,499, and is already on sale. You can also choose a slightly lower powered one with a Core i5 chip for $1,300.

It’s good to see HP trying something new with its laptops, and this might well be the first time I’ve been tempted to actually try a convertible laptop. And if the company can deliver on that claim of 18-hour battery life with decent performance, it’ll certainly have a winner on its hands.